Judge didn't know about sex scheme: witnesses

JUDGE Lori Douglas says she's a victim of her husband's "unimaginable betrayal" in trying to arrange a sexual tryst for her with his former client without her knowledge or consent.

The Canadian Judicial Council has heard from a pair of witnesses who agree Douglas may have been in the dark about Jack King's actions, which have put her career in jeopardy amid allegations of sexual harassment levelled against the couple.

Michael Sinclair was a managing partner at the law firm where both Douglas and King were working when the scandal erupted in 2003. Alex Chapman, a client of King, came forward with sexually explicit emails and nude photos of Douglas King had sent him.

"She was shattered. She was very upset, very emotional. She said she didn't know anything about any of this," Sinclair told the judicial council panel while testifying on Friday. Douglas was appointed to the bench in 2005 and has been on leave since August 2010 because of the council's investigation.

Sinclair said he immediately spoke with King, who admitted what he'd done but claimed Douglas knew "basically nothing" about his actions. He added it was possible she knew a handful of graphic pictures had been posted online, but Sinclair never pressed him further. Sinclair then sat down with Douglas to discuss the issue but never asked her directly about the photos.

"She's a person of integrity and honesty. I accepted what she told me," he said. "The only thing she did is allow Jack King to take pictures of her naked, which I understand was a part of their sex life."

Sinclair defended the firm's decision not to refer the case to the Law Society of Manitoba at the time. George Macintosh, a lawyer acting on behalf of the judicial council panel, suggested the firm conducted only a "modest" investigation. But Sinclair stood by his actions, saying he knew King was going to deal with the matter civilly and Douglas appeared to be an innocent bystander.

"She didn't cause these photos to be published and put on the Internet. I didn't think -- and don't think now -- we should be blaming the victim," he told the five-member panel.

Chapman, through his lawyer, Ian Histed, demanded a $100,000 payment from Thompson Dorfman Sweatman to keep quiet. Lawyers ultimately struck a $25,000 settlement, which Chapman breached in 2010 when he went public with the allegations. That led to King being disciplined by the law society and Douglas being placed under review by the judicial council.

Histed also testified Friday, saying he was stunned when Chapman first contacted him in 2003 with the story. Chapman told him King was looking for a black man to "rape" his wife in their home as part of a fantasy scenario. But Histed said he wasn't convinced Douglas had given her blessing.

"I was quite worried Jack King was doing this without the knowledge of his wife," Histed said. He contacted the law firm to let them know about possible civil action, but also to warn Douglas in case her husband was looking for "other gangs of men to rape her." He said Chapman initially wanted to sue for millions of dollars, saying he wanted to buy a fancy new sailboat.

"That would have been nice, but this isn't New York," Histed said.

He said Chapman gave him the impression Douglas had "flirted" with him when they met in a bar at the behest of King, but nothing happened other than Douglas touching his muscles.

Chapman spent the first four days of the hearing giving evidence, and his credibility repeatedly came under attack from lawyers representing Douglas. He painted himself as the victim of a corrupt system whose life and career have been ruined by Douglas and King. He said he didn't object to King's plans because he feared refusing to participate in King's fantasies would jeopardize his ongoing divorce proceedings.

Diary entries submitted to the council include several references by Chapman to receiving $500 weekly to "do" his elderly neighbour's wife in 2003.

Chapman says he broke his silence two years ago because he believes another judge who is friends with Douglas interfered in his civil court case against Winnipeg police, which was settled out of court in 2010. Under cross-examination, Chapman admitted he has "no direct proof" of such a conspiracy.

The hearing resumes next week with testimony expected from King, Douglas and several other members of the Manitoba justice system.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 21, 2012 B1